I like very much #2, 4 and 5. I don’t think that I’m qualified for an apt C&C, but 1 and 3 seem to me with an undecided subject. That is, I’m not sure what you saw in the composition. I live in Israel so the views are quite familiar, the harsh light and oppressive heat, so I understand the situation. In #1 I would have concentrated on the guy with his cell phone against the background with the slammed on technology advancements on the old wall. I would also caught him with his leg forward in his stride, this posture is more motion suggestive than the one with the leg behind as in your shot. Because I’m such a slow learner it took me some time to be able to catch them with the leg forward, but now I’m able to do it 10 out of 10 within the region that I want them in the frame. It’s not that hard really.
#2 is simply beautiful and the B&W is very well motivated. I really like this one.
#3 left me undecided too; I can’t honestly point what is that I object, it seems to me that it’s too much to look at in the shot. The pair is well shot and the motion well suggested, and the building behind them is interesting too with those beams poking out and contrasting with the sky. The right side of the frame catches the eye too as the point where the pair is looking and this (in my view) splits the composition.
I would have tried to catch the pair from a closer range, but I suppose that wasn’t possible. I’ve done many shots in the shouk but there are regions, especially the butchers’ section, where you may catch an axe flying toward you in the frame if you’re not shooting with an almost invisible range finder.
I like the rhythm in #4 and It’s a very good one too. I would have blackened the shadows in PP to have a more graphic look, but that’s just me.
The portrait is excellent in my opinion. Full of character and very well shot.
I hope that helps. I’m far from being qualified but these are my thoughts.

Thanks for the feedback, Radu. I've yet to get the hang of the decisive moment for people in scenes, but I'm learning slowly.

For the 1st and 3rd shots, I was trying to convey the scene as a whole, and the busy-ness within it. No 1 isn't a view you'd think came from Dubai with all its aggresive marketing and tourism, so the view of the empty block in the foreground, chaos of the architecture, DIY installation of a/c etc should be taken as a whole. The pidgeons on the left were supposed to be balanced by the man on the right, and he was fast disappearing and I needed a human element.

For the 3rd scene again I was trying to capture the scene as a whole, with the architecture, stall, spices drying on the pavement. Again, I was waiting a while for the human element to come along and got them in the right part of the frame.

Last edited by dubaiphil on Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

This was with a Carl Zeiss 35mm f2 lens, which has great microcontrast and is very sharp. The shot was converted from a RAW file into Photoshop, and then initially processed in Colour Efex software to boost the tonal contrast. Then I used Silver Efex to convert to monocrome.

Phil, your photography is awesome, if I see your name in the posts I always check to see what you are up to! Don't be down, I think you actually deserve a category of your own! Keep up the fantastic work - you are a true inspiration.